Shropshire Star

Brexit must not be delayed, says MP

A Shropshire MP has warned that extending the Brexit 'transition period' would put the whole process at risk.

Published
Daniel Kawczynski

Daniel Kawczynski, the MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said extending the time-frame while sticking points are resolved would be seen as a sign of weakness, and would embolden those who wanted to derail the whole process.

Britain secured a 21-month transition with the European Union earlier this year, set to start when Britain leaves the Brussels bloc on 29 March 2019 and end in December 2020.

But EU officials hinted last month that the Prime Minister was ready to consider extending the transition period by an extra year to allow more time to break the deadlock over the Irish border.

Mr Kawczynski said such a delay would send out the wrong signals.

“I think it would be destabilising sort of narrative if we said ‘no we are not ready and we are going to extend the deadline’," he said.

"No. I think this focus of March 29 next year is very important."

Mr Kawczynski said as the deadline approached, minds were finally being focused that there was limited time to sort the deal, and extending the deadline would not help this.

"According to the European Union, 85 percent of everything has been agreed, it is the last difficult 15 percent that hasn’t been finished," he said.

"I think if you extend the deadline you are saying a couple of things, first of all we failed to negotiate.

“Secondly, it is almost like giving a green light to potentially reversing the decision or going along with the ludicrous proposition that there is another referendum. No. The decision has been taken. We are pulling out of the European Union on March 29 next year.”

Mr Kawczynski, an outspoken Brexiteer, also revealed that some of his constituents were heading down to Parliament for a celebratory dinner to honour 'something quite unique'.

"The creation of a new sovereign nation on the continent of Europe – that is a very very special thing,” he said.

The dispute over whether there would be the need for a 'hard border' with the Republic of Ireland has proved the key obstacle to an agreement, which Mrs May had hoped to resolve at the European Council summit in Brussels last month.

Mrs May said 'one option' being considered is to extend the transition period but only 'for a matter of months'.

But later on in the day, Mrs May attempted to play down the comments and said Britain would not be pushing for an extension.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said in a letter to the House of Common’s Brexit committee that he believed a deal could be reached by November 21.